Meeting Abstract
P1.12 Sunday, Jan. 4 Activity patterns and huddling behavior in the rare austral marsupial (Dromiciops gliroides) FRANCO, L. M*; BARRIENTOS, K; SOTO-GAMBOA, M. R.; Instituto de Ecologia y Evoluci, UACh; Instituto de Ecologia y Evoluci, UACh; Instituto de Ecologia y Evoluci, UACh lidamarcelaf@yahoo.com
Marsupials as other mammal species present a high diversity of physiological and behavioral strategies to coping environmental condition in that living. These include type of diet, diurnal pattern activity and group and solitary living. During summer 2007 we using 108 tomahawk live-trapping for evaluating morphometric traits and population aspects of Dromiciops gliroides an inhabitant from the Temperate Rainforests of Austral South America. This specie is the only living representative of the Order Microbiotheria, and an important component of Chilean biodiversity which contributes in the regeneration of native forest. Despite of the ecological and evolutionary importance of D. gliroides, only recently begin to know features of its natural history. Based in this fact, the aims of this study were (1) to describe the daily and annual activity time of D. gliroides, and (2) to describe the huddling patterns during torpor. We conducted this study at the San Martin Experimental Forest at the Southern Chile. During March and April 2008 we put four automatic camera traps mounted on tree for detecting daily activity time. We founded not significant differences in the morphometry between sexes. However, the body mass differed significantly among months and only tail width was significant between sexes. The sex proportion was relatively constant and showed no differences among months. But, the males were more abundant than the females. Our results suggest that this nocturnal marsupial has periods of great activity during the early morning (2:00-4:00). Finally, we show preliminary data evidencing the huddling as an important strategy for the survival of this marsupial in the forests from Austral South America.
